Lack of comprehensive and exploratory professional experiments and practical trainings is considered to be the key problem that restricts the cultivation of talents with practical and innovative abilities for the major of water conservancy and hydropower engineering in Nanchang University. According to the virtual simulation practice teaching philosophies of serving teaching, integrating scientific research with teaching and orienting engineering, engineering practices and research projects were transformed into the contents of the virtual simulation practice teaching. Modularized virtual simulation experiment platforms were established with regional characteristics and subject features, and several experimental courses based on these platforms were offered for students to carry out comprehensive and exploratory experiments. It was found that the open and autonomous virtual simulation practice teaching could improve the teaching quality effectively for this major, and help to cultivate students' practical and innovative abilities.